{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart305.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart305.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart305.htm","text":"CHAPTER LXVIII\nHow Sir Tristram and his fellowship jousted, and of the\nnoble feats that they did in that tourneying.\nNOW upon what party, said Tristram, is it best we be\nwithal as to-morn? Sir, said Palomides, ye shall have\nmine advice to be against King Arthur as to-morn, for on\nhis party will be Sir Launcelot and many good knights of\nhis blood with him. And the more men of worship that\nthey be, the more worship we shall win. That is full\nknightly spoken, said Sir Tristram; and right so as ye\ncounsel me, so will we do. In the name of God, said they\nall. So that night they were lodged with the best. And\non the morn when it was day they were arrayed all in\ngreen trappings, shields and spears, and La Beale Isoud in\nthe same colour, and her three damosels. And right so\nthese four knights came into the field endlong and through.\nAnd so they led La Beale Isoud thither as she should stand\nand behold all the jousts in a bay window; but always she\nwas wimpled that no man might see her visage. And then\nthese three knights rode straight unto the party of the\nKing of Scots.\nWhen King Arthur had seen them do all this he asked\nSir Launcelot what were these knights and that queen.\nSir, said Launcelot, I cannot say you in certain, but if Sir\nTristram be in this country, or Sir Palomides, wit ye well\nit be they m certain, and La Beale Isoud. Then Arthur\ncalled to him Sir Kay and said: Go lightly and wit how\nmany knights there be here lacking of the Table Round,\nfor by the sieges thou mayst know. So went Sir Kay\nand saw by the writings in the sieges that there lacked ten\nknights. And these be their names that be not here. Sir\nTristram, Sir Palomides, Sir Percivale, Sir Gaheris, Sir\nEpinogris, Sir Mordred, Sir Dinadan, Sir La Cote Male\nTaile, and Sir Pelleas the noble knight. Well, said Arthur,\nsome of these I dare undertake are here this day against us.\nThen came therein two brethren, cousins unto Sir\nGawaine, the one hight Sir Edward, that other hight Sir\nSadok, the which were two good knights; and they asked\nof King Arthur that they might have the first jousts, for\nthey were of Orkney. I am pleased, said King Arthur.\nThen Sir Edward encountered with the King of Scots, in\nwhose party was Sir Tristram and Sir Palomides; and Sir\nEdward smote the King of Scots quite from his horse, and\nSir Sadok smote down the King of North Wales, and gave\nhim a wonder great fall, that there was a great cry on King\nArthur's party, and that made Sir Palomides passing wroth.\nAnd so Sir Palomides dressed his shield and his spear, and\nwith all his might he met with Sir Edward of Orkney,\nthat he smote him so hard that his horse might not stand\non his feet, and so they hurtled to the earth; and then\nwith the same spear Sir Palomides smote down Sir Sadok\nover his horse's croup. O Jesu, said Arthur, what knight\nis that arrayed all in green? he jousteth mightily. Wit\nyou well, said Sir Gawaine, he is a good knight, and yet\nshall ye see him joust better or he depart. And yet shall\nye see, said Sir Gawaine, another bigger knight, in the\nsame colour, than he is; for that same knight, said Sir\nGawaine, that smote down right now my four cousins, he\nsmote me down within these two days, and seven fellows\nmore.\nThis meanwhile as they stood thus talking there came\ninto the place Sir Tristram upon a black horse, and or\never he stint he smote down with one spear four good\nknights of Orkney that were of the kin of Sir Gawaine;\nand Sir Gareth and Sir Dinadan everych of them smote\ndown a good knight. Jesu, said Arthur, yonder knight\nupon the black horse doth mightily and marvellously well.\nAbide you, said Sir Gawaine; that knight with the black\nhorse began not yet. Then Sir Tristram made to horse\nagain the two kings that Edward and Sadok had unhorsed\nat the beginning. And then Sir Tristram drew his sword\nand rode into the thickest of the press against them of\nOrkney; and there he smote down knights, and rashed off\nhelms, and pulled away their shields, and hurtled down\nmany knights: he fared so that Sir Arthur and all knights\nhad great marvel when they saw one knight do so great\ndeeds of arms. And Sir Palomides failed not upon the\nother side, but did so marvellously well that all men had\nwonder. For there King Arthur likened Sir Tristram that\nwas on the black horse like to a wood lion, and likened\nSir Palomides upon the white horse unto a wood leopard,\nand Sir Gareth and Sir Dinadan unto eager wolves. But\nthe custom was such among them that none of the kings\nwould help other, but all the fellowship of every standard\nto help other as they might; but ever Sir Tristram did so\nmuch deeds of arms that they of Orkney waxed weary of\nhim, and so withdrew them unto Lonazep","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LXVIII","type":"page"}